Chihuahua found miles away from London home inside Santa sack

Lost dog: Eragon was found on a church porch inside a red Santa sack R

A lost Chihuahua has been reunited with his owner for Christmas after he was found in a Santa sack on a church porch.

Eragon, aged three, was found by the entrance of St Mary’s Church, in Hertfordshire, on December 16 by schoolchildren attending a service.

The tiny pooch had been left tied up inside the red sack with dog treats, a dog jumper and a Christmas card.

A message inside the card said: “My lady is going into a home. I need food cut small. Please find me a lovely new home. My lady failed. So sorry.”

An RSPCA inspector was called and a scan of his microchip found he belonged to a woman who lived more than 40 miles away in Deptford, south London.

Dog owner Samantha Jones lost Eragon while out walking in August and was delighted when the RSPCA brought him home in time for Christmas.

RSPCA inspector Stephen Reeves said: “We think Eragon had got lost on this walk and then found by someone who took him in without thinking of checking his microchip, and then three or four months later found that they could just not cope any longer.

“Eragon had clearly been cared for, as the treats, jumper and card show, but it could have ended quite badly to leave a little dog like that out with no care in the temperatures we’ve been seeing recently.”

Ms Jones said: “I thought I would never see him again. I put up posters and asked everyone I could when he went missing.

“So it was a lovely surprise when I got the call to find he had been found. I was especially shocked to find he was in Hertfordshire - quite a way from my London home.

“It is so lovely to have him home again in time for Christmas. We’ve been making quite a fuss of him as you can imagine.”